Is UIKit still Relevant In 2024?

As we approach the mid-2020s, the debate about whether UIKit remains relevant in the world of iOS development continues to surface. With the introduction of SwiftUI in 2019, many developers started to question whether Apple’s original UI framework, UIKit, would become obsolete. Despite the rise of SwiftUI and its growing capabilities, UIKit still holds a crucial place in iOS development in 2024. Let’s explore why.

The Case for UIKit’s Relevance

 1. Mature and Battle-Tested

UIKit has been around since the release of the iPhone SDK in 2008, and over more than a decade, it has been thoroughly tested in all sorts of apps, from small to large-scale enterprise applications. Its maturity means that developers can trust it for complex, performance-sensitive applications. The vast majority of apps on the App Store, including some of the most successful, are built with UIKit.

 2. Comprehensive API Coverage

UIKit has an extensive API that covers almost every aspect of UI development in iOS. This includes advanced features like drag-and-drop, collection views, gesture recognizers, scroll views, and custom animations. While SwiftUI is catching up, there are still areas where UIKit offers more flexibility and control, particularly when building apps that require a high degree of customization.

 3. SwiftUI Still Has Gaps

SwiftUI, while rapidly evolving, is not yet feature-complete compared to UIKit. Certain advanced UI components and behaviors—especially those requiring granular control over layout or animations—are more easily handled with UIKit. SwiftUI’s declarative syntax offers simplicity, but when developers need more detailed control over the user interface or need to handle edge cases, UIKit often becomes necessary.

 4. Interoperability with SwiftUI

Rather than rendering UIKit obsolete, SwiftUI and UIKit are designed to complement each other. SwiftUI offers a modern, declarative way to build user interfaces, but Apple has made sure that both frameworks can work together seamlessly. By using UIViewControllerRepresentable and UIViewRepresentable in SwiftUI, developers can embed UIKit components inside SwiftUI views. This hybrid approach allows developers to enjoy the simplicity of SwiftUI for basic views while falling back on UIKit when advanced or specialized features are needed.

 5. Legacy Code and Projects

Many existing iOS apps have been built entirely in UIKit. It is unlikely that companies with large, long-standing projects will migrate these apps entirely to SwiftUI anytime soon. Instead, they continue to maintain and expand their apps using UIKit while integrating SwiftUI for new features. UIKit’s relevance in legacy systems ensures that it will remain a staple for years to come.

The Strength of SwiftUI in 2024

That said, SwiftUI’s growth cannot be ignored. As of iOS 18 and Xcode 16, SwiftUI has matured significantly, and its adoption is on the rise. New developers tend to gravitate toward SwiftUI due to its declarative nature, speed of development, and easier learning curve. Apple’s clear focus on making SwiftUI the future of iOS development suggests that it will eventually become the go-to framework for most use cases.

The Hybrid Approach: The Best of Both Worlds

In 2024, many developers are adopting a hybrid approach by mixing SwiftUI and UIKit in their projects. For example:

 • SwiftUI is great for building fast prototypes or relatively simple UIs.

 • UIKit is still the go-to for more complex applications, where features like collection views, advanced animations, or custom rendering are required.

This hybrid approach allows developers to leverage the strengths of both frameworks, ensuring they can use the most appropriate tools for their needs.

Conclusion

UIKit is far from irrelevant in 2024. While SwiftUI is clearly Apple’s focus for the future, UIKit remains an essential tool in the iOS developer’s toolbox. Its maturity, extensive API, and ability to handle complex UI scenarios ensure that it still has a strong foothold. Developers working on large-scale apps, maintaining legacy codebases, or needing granular control will continue to rely on UIKit, even as they explore the possibilities of SwiftUI.

For the foreseeable future, both SwiftUI and UIKit will coexist, and the smartest developers will be those who can effectively leverage both frameworks to deliver robust and innovative iOS apps.